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@SYates is right, it is tempting to fill whatever pack you take.Yes, that you pack too much into it ;-) Also make sure that it fits YOUR back when fully loaded. I assume you are going to walk the Camino Francés, in that case, unless you have especially bulky things that are absolutely vital to you a 48l pack is more than enough. Buen Camino, SY
... I have asked for over four years for someone to point me to an authoritative source for the so called 10% guideline. No-one has so far, but people repeat it nonetheless....
Hey BillyB, I walked in April/May this year with an Osprey Stratos 36 litre pack. It was a tight fit (including sleeping bag), but like a lot of first timers I packed more than I needed. Will be using the same pack next year but with a lot less in it.I am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
... I wore a 75L pack on our Camino last March and I loved it. ...
That's a good question. When I first asked, it was suggested by someone that the CSJ site recommended 10%. It might have at some point, but by the time I checked, the advice there was 10-15% and less than 10kg. It now suggests different things, the 10% as a rule of thumb in one place, 10-15% elsewhere, and 10-12kg as a maximum. It has limited discussion about adjustments from summer to winter.
I say go for whatever one fits you the best and is the most comfortable for you.
I wore a 75L pack on our Camino last March and I loved it. It fit me well and because it was rated to hold a lot of weight, it was very comfortable. It would've driven me crazy to have to pack my gear in my rucksack like a game of Tetris; this has to go in this way, that has to go in that way, etc.
Yes, you have to be smart and avoid the temptation to over fill it but once you start training you'll soon see if you've packed too much.
Merry Christmas and Buen Camino!
Ron
Thank you,In 2012 I used a 60l Blaze by Granitegear. I still have it and its a great pack. Well built and designed. I really didn't need the extra room though. 60l is a lot for the CDS unless I'm camping. It's still my go to sierra backpack. For this May CDS, I bought the Osprey Exos 48l and I gotta say it's the best designed pack I've ever owned, and I'm a pack addict. I'm using it for my training walks/hikes and it fits perfectly. No need to pack like a tetra. Everything that goes into my pack is first placed in a silnylon bag. clean clothes, dirty clothes, jacket, socks, electronics, first-aid, everything has a bag. Keeps everything in order and easy to pack/unpack AND it adds an extra layer of waterproofness. As far as the "10% rule". For each his own. But, I carry what I need. I do seek out and buy ultra-lite gear, but, I carry whatever I need. Don't NOT carry something because it exceeds the 10%. Simply access what you need and carry it. I.e in 2012, I didn't carry a lite weight pair of walking around shoes, this time I will.
I learned to pack from a) this site b) your book! So, you could say that I had very good support.You can be proud of yourself @CaminoDebrita ! Walking with a 32l pack in October/November is a great achievement in self-restriction! Buen Camino, SY
Yes! Each person decides what works for them.I say go for whatever one fits you the best and is the most comfortable for you.
I wore a 75L pack on our Camino last March and I loved it. It fit me well and because it was rated to hold a lot of weight, it was very comfortable. It would've driven me crazy to have to pack my gear in my rucksack like a game of Tetris; this has to go in this way, that has to go in that way, etc.
Yes, you have to be smart and avoid the temptation to over fill it but once you start training you'll soon see if you've packed too much.
Merry Christmas and Buen Camino!
Ron
These are questions you should be asking yourself as only you truly know the answerI am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
... My wife cringes at that of how many I have.
I had the same experience, but no matter how much I "indulged" I never gained the waistline back until I got home and back to my regular routine. But on the Camino, with the hip belt sliding down past my hips, I took a pair of extra socks and duct-taped them to the inside of the hip belt to make up for lost inches.Whatever pack you decide on keep in mind that you may loose a few inches at the waist and allow for that. Personally 7 days in I cinched my waistband as tight as I could, only thing left to do was to wedge something between me and the belt or eat more - I happily indulged, i mean obliged the latter.
Just to give you a lower bound - 12L for May and Sept
I am dying to see your packing list! FSO pretty please. SY
Exos 48 is what I walk with and I love it. Light and lots of spare room on a 'normal' camino but will take camping equipment on a longer trek. Enjoy and buen caminoThank you,
This makes a lot of sense. I really liked the Exos 48L too. decision made!
I'd definitely go with the smaller size. It should provide more than enough room.I am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
Hi SY,And how much was the empty weight of it? SY
After many experiences, starting with a 66liters 17 kilos I now use either a an osprey Talon 33 or a Deuter AC Aera 30 and the average wheight is 5 kilos max including sleeping bag. Which is enough for me for a trip of about 1500 kms on caminos.
Gilles
I would go for a 35L backpack. It holds everything I NEED. I have Berghaus and I like it. German quality gets me all the time . Initially, I had a 45L backpack and ..... it used to be full all the time... with things I really could have done without. Just a few basic necessities of good quality is OK for me. Buen Camino
The Camino is not like the PCT or the APT. You don't need a lot of gear and you don't need a big pack. I've noticed that a lot of the Outdoor stores, like REI, are now using a measuring/fitting device to fit a pack. You might want to look for that to help get a good fit. I selected and use a Osprey Talon 44 but a 36 to 38 liter pack would have worked just as well. Mine is very light and s, so gar, durable but as others have stated, you must use restraint when loading it. You will be tempted to fill it up with extras . Someone asked where the 10% rule came from, well for me, it came from listening to my back and my feet. 10% isn't carved in stone but its a good target to strive for. Buen CaminoI am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
This is why my wife does not pack for me.
Hello!I am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
I have Berghaus and I like it. German quality gets me all the time
My husband and I have a don't ask don't tell policy on backpacks/daypacks/rucksacks....what other uses may you have for the pack and can you afford multiple packs? My wife cringes at the thought of how many I have.
For the Camino in Spring, Summer or Autumn, the choice would be either my 35 litre Berghaus Capacitor or 48 litre Osprey Exos. Both are very comfortable and loaded with my basic essentials would weigh in at around 5 to 6 Kgs.
After many experiences, starting with a 66 liters 17 kilos I now use either a an osprey Talon 33 or a Deuter AC Aera 30 and the average weight is 5 kilos max including sleeping bag. Which is enough for me for a trip of about 1500 kms on caminos.
I have my pack list from May/June this year when I used my Berghaus Capacitor 35 litre pack. Next year's pack list will be pretty much the same but with the Osprey Exos 48 litre pack. I have stripped it down including removing the top pocket and all the external straps which I don't need to use and the pack now weighs about 950 g.Devon Mike, the Osprey Exos weighs about 1 kg.
Can you please provide your pack list of your basic essentials so I can learn.
I have my pack list from May/June this year when I used my Berghaus Capacitor 35 litre pack
I use very lightweight long sleeved base layers and long lightweight trousers as they are good for sun protection and I don't need to carry sunscreen. When it is quite hot I do push the sleeves up for a while though.Devon Mike, thanks very much, most helpful.
The main difference was in clothing and its weight. You seemed to have only long sleeve tops. I often generate a lot of heat when walking and use short sleeve tops (often changing one en-route) plus long sleeve top for evening. So I can see where I might cut back.
Thanks again
this would be a good reason for you never to be introduced to my wife!! I have enough trouble keeping my pack weight down without this sort of help!I worked in backpacking stores for years and often recommended to people who came in shopping for packs to get as small a pack as they can get away with, but talk their partner into getting a much larger one. That way, "I can't fit this flashlight/poncho/campstove in my pack... do you have room in yours?" That's one way to keep your pack light.
I would recommend looking at the small, American cottage manufacturers (Hyperlite, Gorilla Gear, Zpacks, ULA, Six Moons). In my opinion, they are far better designed, and far lighter than anything you are going to find at REI or any mainline outdoor gear store, including Ospreys (which we loved, but weight is weight).
Finally a word on comparisons. American cottage manufacturers tend to measure volume not just of the main compartment (as more industrial manufacturers do), but including all external pockets as well.
Im cringing with just looking at the prices for my first caminoMuch like going to a shoe store to be fitted for shoes, go to an outfitter to be fitted for a good backpack. You will be happy you did. The 48l Osprey is a good choice for an April Camino Frances, though perhaps a bit large, depending on the size of your sleeping bag--the bulkiest item in the pack. Too, as others have said, what other uses may you have for the pack and can you afford multiple packs? My wife cringes at the thought of how many I have.
Im cringing with just looking at the prices for my first camino
Stop cringing ;-) There are a lot of good backpacks available for under $100 ;-) SY
That's why im going to REI first and if i can't find a pretty one then what ever fits right! !Pretty becomes sooo unimportant on the Camino, I take a well fitting one anytime over a pretty one. SY
Reverse that: If I can find one that fits great, and if it is pretty also, so much the better. Your priority is to have a painless camino ... SY
I am shopping for a backpack for my april trip. I have been looking at the osprey lite weights. The 58 lt and 48lt basically are the same weight. 2.4 and 2.8 lbs. Is there a disadvantage of buying a larger pack?
How well I know that different seasons require different gear. My 32L Deuter barely accommodated me for November, honestly. I do love the pack though, and it forced me to pack frugally. I will say that when I purchased it, I was planning a September walk on El Camino de Santiago; because of family plans, I had to switch to October through mid-November.
32 L was not quite big enough for me in an Autumn walk, but I decided to get frugal about what I felt I needed. In early October, the really hot days--and there were many of them--inspired me to ship my sleeping bag to Santiago, a decision I would mildly regret through the cold nights in November. At that point, I would sleep fully clothed in everything, with one buff around my neck and one on my head--with a rain jacket and a poncho spread over me.
If I had a pack purchase to do again, it would be a 35-38 L size. That said, I now love my pack, and will probably use it again (and again).
Alwyn, Thanks for doing all of this. I'd make one notations if anyone is really interested: For ULA--look at the Ohm 2.0 rather than the Epic, which is designed for rafting trips. The Ohm is 63L, still about 921g. The purple fabric is pretty. ULA has a pack called the "Camino," but it is 20oz. heavier.
Thanks Sabbott,I've tried on many packs, both through the mail and at outdoor stores. It's been hard to find one that fits comfortably, especially in my thin shoulders. I really wanted to keep the Exos 48 I bought, but the shoulder and hip belts just weren't padded enough for me. My son, a long distance ultralight hiker, suggested the ULA Circuit, which is what I have settled on. http://www.ula-equipment.com/product_p/circuit.htm
It's made by a small company in Utah, and they do a good job helping you with measurement over the phone. The shoulder straps come in male and female versions, and are sized separately, as are the backpack and hip belt. Both the shoulder belt and hip belt are much more padded than the Exos. It's very well-made, and has some thoughtful features, like front-strap water bottle holders.
The total volume is 68 liters--BUT that includes very large zipped pockets on the belt and sides, and a mesh pocket on the back. The bag's top rolls down, and the whole thing compresses to quite a small size if you have less volume. My base weight with the pack loaded for the Camino is 14 lbs.
The pack unloaded weighs about 38 oz. You can find lighter, but for me, the Circuit combines reasonable weight with comfort.